West Bengal: 9 kids with acute respiratory infection die in Siliguri's NBMCH

An eight-month-old infant from West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district died due to fever and acute respiratory infection (ARI) at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) in Siliguri, West Bengal. This was the ninth such case that came to light. 

News agency ANI quoted NBMCH's Medical Superintendent and Vice-Principal (MSVP), Dr Sanjay Chakraborty as saying that nearly 27 children were brought to the pediatric department of the hospital within a span of 24 hours.  

Dr Chakraborty revealed that ten individuals were identified with ARI symptoms, while three of the affected were transferred from other district hospitals. Overall, there are 56 children who have been hospitalised. The NBMCH MSVP said, "A total of nine children have lost their lives at the hospital who were suffering from fever and acute respiratory infection (ARI) problems, including one who died early last morning."   

Dr Sanjay Chakraborty went on to say that they have tested all of the kids and discovered that none of them was COVID-19 positive. He informed that the hospital administration has allotted a significant number of hospital beds for ARI patients, as well as other measures to address the crisis. Dr Chakraborty also urged parents as well as guardians of the kids who are with low birth weight and other illnesses, to be careful and to look whether their child is developing any symptoms.  

Swapan Roy, a family member of an admitted kid, has voiced concerns about the treatment and claimed that doctors are ignoring individuals who have raised questions. He said, "We are too worried about the rising deaths of children."  

Several children with respiratory infection admitted to hospitals in Siliguri, Jalpaiguri

A few days ago approximately 70 children were taken to the Siliguri district hospital with fever and respiratory issues. This happened only days after 150 children were brought to the Jalpaiguri district hospital with identical conditions. Dr Subir Bhowmick, the head of the pediatric department of Siliguri district hospital and president of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics, Siliguri division, told ANI that the ailment is caused by a viral infection, and most of the youngsters are arriving in with high temperature, cough, and other difficulties. 

Bhowmick said that normally children under the age of five months have been found to be infected. He further added that the Siliguri district hospital was in the worst possible situation. The frequency of patients has grown from 200 to 300, with 31 of them admitted on a daily basis.  

Meanwhile, since the beginning of September, almost 1,400 children in Jalpaiguri and surrounding areas have been admitted to hospitals with high fever and dysentery. Nearly 130 kids were brought to the Jalpaiguri Sadar Hospital on September 13 with high fever and diarrhoea. 

(Image: ANI)